Queen's Park power to T20 Festival crown over Clarke Road

Queen’s Park Cricket Club (QPCC) spun webs around FC Clarke Road United as they unleashed a whirlwind 92-run victory in the CPL/TKR T20 Festival final on home turf at the Queen's Park Oval in St Clair, on March 22.

The Parkites captured their seventh premier one T20 crown after in-form batsman Amir Jangoo slammed an unbeaten 81 runs, leading them to a strong total of 185/5, batting first.

This was followed by QPCC spinners Khary Pierre (3/24), Jyd Goolie (3/14) and Akeal Hosein (2/11) tangling up the Clarke Road batsmen and having them dismissed for 93 runs from 16.2 overs. Pierre was the star as the left-arm spinner took a hat-trick.

Sent in to bat, the home team lost opener Dexter Sween early on as he edged to Vikash Mohan in first slip off Yannick Ottley’s third delivery. Sween replaced Joshua Da Silva for the final after the Red Force captain picked up a slight injury in the semi-final.

When Jangoo (81 not out) met opener Kyle Ramdoo (33) at the crease, the pair batted fiercely and put on a 65-run stand. Ramdoo showed aggression and smacked fast bowler Shiva Sankar for 18 from his first over.

Jangoo was equally as ruthless, smashing Mark Deyal for three sixes and a four to help bring up 66/1 after the powerplay. Ramdoo was caught by Anderson Mahase of Clevon Kalawan in the eighth over.

Andre ‘Spiceman’ Fletcher (15) and Jangoo took the Parkites to 87/2 after ten overs. Bravo hit 19 after Fletcher was caught by Mohan, and the left-hander and Jangoo carried QPCC to 125/3 after 15 overs.

Deyal scattered Bravo’s stumps soon after, but 15 off Kalawan’s over and some power-hitting in the final overs carried QPCC to a formidable 185/5.

In reply, the Penal-based team found it hard to get going as the world’s highest-ranked T20 bowler Hosein, Goolie, Bryan Charles and fast bowler Terrance Hinds (2/18) kept them at bay.

Opener Nicholas Sookdeosingh struck 24 and Deyal 23 not out, but the Clarke Road batsmen were no match for the Queen's Park bowlers. There were glimmers of brilliance with the bat in Clarke Road’s chase, but the precise bowling of QPCC’s attack was on point.

Pierre also notched a well-earned hat-trick as he had Ottley stumped by wicketkeeper Jangoo, Mahase caught out by Goolie for a golden duck and Gomez slicing one behind into Jangoo’s gloves off the very next ball.

Summarised scores:

QPCC 185/5 (20 overs) (Amir Jangoo 81 not out, Kyle Ramdoo 33; Mark Deyal 2/38 vs CLARKE ROAD UNITED 93 (16.2 overs) (Nicholas Sookdeosingh 24, Mark Deyal 23 not out; Khary Pierre 3/24, Jyd Goolie 3/14, Akeal Hosein 2/11, Terrance Hinds 2/18). QPCC won by 92 runs